14. Water day

Entering the kingdom of Jordan, we skip the capital Amman and go straight to Madaba, a town known for its mosaics. As we arrive quite late in the afternoon we just quickly go to the visitors centre for some info and do some grocery shopping. Then it is time to search for a sleeping spot. Am I glad we are going to stay somewhere in nature instead of at a campground. You might find this weird as of course nature does not provide you the ‘nice bathroom’…. but to be honest nor do most campgrounds or hostels. And to be honest, the best rooms with a view are the one of the cruiser.

A room with a view

Drinking tea with a shepherd on the mountain.

After a day of visiting Madaba, we head off for the dead sea, with minus 400 meters the lowest point on earth not covered by water. It is September now and boiling hot, imagine what it would be during full summer! Due to evaporation it has an astonishing salinity of 31%, nine times higher than the oceans. The dead sea is by the way not a sea but a terminal lake into which the Jordan river and other watersheds deposit their flow. And I have to tell you, ‘swimming’ in the dead sea is such a funny experience! We sure had a good laugh! It is a weird feeling to have to try and stand up. The first time I enter I try to stand up but before my feet touch the ground my legs automatically move backwards and I am floating on my belly. The skin becomes very soft, it actually feels like there is a layer of I don’t know what on it. And I have tasted the water, trust me, it is disgusting! LOL It’s a shame the ‘beach’ is so dirty… but as we’ve seen in most of the Middle East, bins are hard to use… Anyway, we really can not stay longer than an hour in the water as the sun is burning our skins. So we go back the car, try to rinse ourselves as good as possible with the water we have left and head of for the Wadi Mujib, also known as the ‘Grand Canyon of Jordan’.

No tricks, no touching the ground, just floating :)

In the nature reserve you can hike a trail without guide. The Siq trail is a ‘water path’ in the canyon. If you expect only to be a bit wet of sweating, you are in for a surprise! During 2 km you hike in the canyon with your feet fully under water, then your knees, and then you when you slide of the rocks on your way back. On the way to the waterfall you climb some rocks a couple of times using a rope (and a guy that pushes you up LOL). And what comes up most come down. By the time you arrive at the waterfall you are completely soaked anyway. And there is quite a bit of a current. The amount of sunglasses, cameras and other valuables lost in there most make it possible to open a nice little shop. :)

Still dry :)

The easy way back